Groundhog Day, Feb. 2nd, 2023

Groundhog Day is celebrated on February 2nd in Canada and the USA.  This is the day when the groundhog is said to come out of its hole at the end of hibernation.  If the weather is sunny and the groundhog sees its shadow, it will retreat to its den and winter will go on for six more weeks. If it is a cloudy day, the animal will not see its shadow and spring will arrive early.  

The first official Groundhog Day celebration took place on Feb. 2, 1887, in Punxsutawney, 

Pennsylvania. This annual ritual was brought to the U.S. by immigrants from Germany. The celebration has its roots in pre-Christian tradition, folklore and superstition. 

Records kept by the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club show that Phil has predicted 105 continued winters so it was sunny on February 2 for that many years and Phil predicted only 20 early springs. Was he correct? Records show that Phil has a 39% accuracy rate. 

At approximately 6:30 am today Groundhog Day 2023 will be celebrated at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Penn. This is one of the Pennsylvania Dutch communities that believed the weather on Candlemas Day, February 2nd, could predict the weather for the rest of the winter. Thousands of visitors will come to Punxsutawney to celebrate Groundhog Day.  In addition to finding out Phil’s prediction, there will be festivals, parades and other festivities to celebrate this day. 

Groundhogs are plentiful in most parts of Canada and the U.S. Groundhogs are also called woodchucks, thick wood badgers, marmots, and whistle pigs. The scientific name for a groundhog is Marmota monax.  Groundhogs can climb trees like other squirrels and they live in burrows that they dig themselves. 

Canada has four well known weather-minded marmots.  Wiarton Willie lives in the community of Wiarton in Bruce County, Ontario.  Willie will be taking part in the local Wiarton Willie Festival.  Fred the groundhog lives in Val-d'Espoir in Gaspésie, Quebec. Shubenacadie Sam lives in Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia and Balzac Billy lives in Balzac, Alberta. Each of these communities have a festival that includes live music, food, and other festivities. Groundhog Day is a time to celebrate and remember the changing seasons.

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